In the eyes of the Beholder
by Ren Mizuki
Summary: When a cold fate descends upon Sakura, is it Kakashi that pulls her back from the brink of corruption? Can she still consider herself worthy as a woman and he, her protector? Love. Hate. Corruption. All in the eyes of the beholder. Kaka 28/Saku 21yrs
1. Melancholy

**UPDATED! I AM ADDING NEW CHAPTERS, AND THIS IS KEY TO UNDERSTANDING THE REST! IT HAS BEEN COMPLETELY REDONE!**

**Oh, and this is really important. REALLY IMPORTANT! In order to avoid the whole creepy relationship of like, 49 year old teacher and 21 year old student, I came up with this.**

**(Yes, it will be explained in later chapters….)**

**Kakashi is about 28 or so (maybe 29, still haven't really decided….) in this story and Sakura is at the ripe age of 21 (drinking age! Yes, this plays a key part as well…. Muahahaha….)**

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own Naruto, sadly, or else Itachi would never die, Sasuke wouldn't be so much of a bastard, Naruto wouldn't be so blind to Hinata's love, and Kakashi wouldn't be so old...**

**Chapter 1: Melancholy**

**Melancholy; noun; a gloomy state of mind, esp. when habitual or prolonged; depression**

Her pink mouth opened in a silent scream of pure agony as her arms were stretched behind her, pulled by the laughing enemy. Her chest was thrust out, head tilted back as she could only kneel there on her knees while she was tortured and beaten. Pained jade eyes were concealed, tightly closed, desperate to hold back the tears caused by the throbbing pain of her shoulders being torn from their sockets.

"Sakura!" "Sakura-chan!" Kakashi and Naruto yelled out, their bodies pulling against the chains that were connected to the wall. Both men were desperately worried for their female team-mate's condition, and they could hear the sound of bones separating, tendons and ligaments snapping and popping. This was the first time they had seen her in days, but she didn't look as bad as she could have. Captivity had prevented them from being together, informed on the other's physical state of being. Kakashi and Naruto had been kept together in this very cell, being beaten and kicked and tortured throughout the whole time. The few reprieves they had had were consumed with sleep and softly discussing strategy in code.

Sakura's knees scraped against the dirty stone floor, blood welling up from the small cuts. She cracked open her eyes for a moment to stare at the chains that had once held her to the wall when she had originally been chained beside her comrades days before. The kunoichi kept her gaze focused on the chains, trying not to cry out in pain to give her captor the satisfaction.

"I will stop if you give me information on your village. Anything will do. Anything at all." The vile man chuckled, digging for information on a certain subject. They couldn't extract anything from the girl earlier during their interrogations, and resorted to torturing her in front of her team-mates. Maybe then they could retrieve data from Konoha Gakure's finest. He waited for them to speak, but when his answer was silence, he continued tugging at the pink haired Kunoichi's arms.

Sakura's hanging head was thrown back once more as she bit back a shriek of pain. When he released the pressure, she dropped her head, the crown only visible to Kakashi and Naruto.

"Do your worst, you filthy sick bastard." She spat, venom etched into her voice. Physical pain, she could handle, not the mental pain they had inflicted upon her before. Her body was strong. Her mind? She wasn't so sure anymore.

Growling with renowned anger, the enemy yanked back a final time, and both of Sakura's arms were dislocated from their sockets. Her comrades heard the sickening pop of the dislocation, their eyes watching the color drain from the female's face as wrenching agony tore through her shoulders like fire. Her eyes snapped open, wild, pain-crazed jade staring at her comrades, and they could see everything that she was feeling through those circular windows.

"Oh, I plan on it, you little bitch." The man sneered back, mad laughter following his retort. He tossed Sakura to the side, and she landed roughly against the wall, this time, a cry of pain escaping her tightly pinched lips. Kakashi and Naruto continued to tug at the chains, but were held back by the lack of chakra and steely strength of the metal.

Kakashi frowned beneath his mask, trying to calm himself and save Sakura some pain. Kami knows what had been done to her before they brought her in. "Yaka-san, surely there is a better way at interrogating us than by going for the female of the team." He offered sincerely.

"You will regret not speaking, bitch." The enemy, Yaka, growled, ignoring Kakashi. Grabbing Sakura by the hair, he forced her up onto her knees again, before slamming her face down into the dirt. She coughed and spluttered, dirt filling her nostrils, her open mouth. She could feel her cheek swell and redden, a bruise already beginning to form under the rosy hue.

"I regret ever coming into contact with you, it sickens me so." The Kunoichi said, oh-so-sweetly.

Roaring in fury, Yaka slammed his foot down onto her dislocated arm, and everyone in the cellar could hear the nauseating crunch of her bones splintering into pieces as he added chakra to the stomp.

Sakura screamed out, pure anguish and suffering written over her face. Thankful that her team-mates could not see this, she tried to stop the flow of tears and screams that tore from her throat. Now was not the time to make her team-mates feel even guiltier than they probably already were. She was the female of the team after all, and the med-nin. Despite her adamant resistance to those facts, the two males continued to protect her, no matter what. And seeing as to that she was the one being tortured at the moment, guilt was foremost in their minds.

Yaka chuckled victoriously, stepping over her slim, battered body to stop on the other arm, the same sickening sound repeating, an echo of the first.

Tears were brimming in Sakura's eyes, but she held them back, forcing the pain from her mind. This time, she did not scream, did not even whimper. She made not a sound, except for the small, whispery words she let escape.

"Is that all you got?" she murmured into the dirt, and in the silence of the cellar, minus the harsh panting, and rattling chains, her voice was heard. "Your interrogation methods really suck." Sakura taunted.

"What? Damn you, bitch! You'll rue ever insulting me! You should have just given me the information to what your Hokage is planning. I know she's fucking devising a plan to take down Sound!"

Sakura paused, her face clear of anything that she was thinking about.

_Tsunade-shishou is not planning to take down Sound. What is this baka talking about?_ She thought to herself, storing the information away to discuss with her mentor later when they returned. _If_ they returned. _If_ her fragmented mind could pull itself together long enough to remember.

Yaka continued on with his rant. "It would have been a benefit to you and your team, but no. You just wish to make them suffer more." Yaka barked, kicking her in the side so that her petite body slammed up against the opposite wall, to the side of Naruto and Kakashi.

Something inside Sakura stirred at his harsh words, and she glanced at her comrades quickly, before returning her gaze to Yaka. She blocked the pain from her mind, pushing it aside so that she could think.

"No, actually, I'm enjoying it." Sakura murmured after coughing up the salty liquid of blood. She was slumped against the wall, and at least had the strength to lift her head and smirk at Yaka, infuriating him more. Her insults were a distraction, giving her the time to assess the situation.

Their enemy was going for the supposed weak link: the female. It showed how naïve they were, and weak. The counter to this assumption was that they were caught.

And being caught was a mistake. It never should have happened. _We were careless._ Sakura thought to herself angrily. Resisting the urge to rub the spot on her neck that burned she continued to glare at Yaka. _Being shot with knockout poison first, and then only taking out 2 of the bastards who shot us pisses me off. Glad to know that Kakashi got at least 3 as well, and Naruto 2__…_ Her thought stilled for a moment, running through different events to come up with a plan. _And even this bastard should know better that our village comes first before self-preservation. As it does before death. _Another glance to Kakashi and Naruto made her grit her teeth and think harder. They would stick by her decisions no matter what, and she knew neither would speak of Konoha's secrets, or of the false accusation that Yaka had previously stated .

Both men continued to struggle, although Kakashi's was calmer and more discreet, while Naruto resisted the urge to start growling and yelling at their captors. He no longer acted like the genin he used to be, but the Jounin he now was. They had to stay strong for Sakura, or else she would never make it. They had to be there for her, or else she would shatter, just like her bones.

Kakashi continued his angered frown beneath his mask. They had been caught with a knockout poison, a mistake he elected to take responsibility of, and dragged to this hideout, which was fairly large. A holding facility of some sort. The elder Jounin eyed the headbands of the enemy, recognizing the symbol as Stone. He wondered why Stone would be interested in the idea of Sound's annihilation. Kakashi stored the question away for later discussion.

"You're so pathetic, I could insult you all day." She taunted him, and Naruto stared at her incredulously. What was she doing? Digging her own grave? Why was she irritating Yaka more, shortening the fuse of the man's mental time bomb. Was she trying to set him off early and kill her?

Naruto lunged forward. "Sakura-chan, no! What are you doing? He'll kill you!" he hissed, but the pink haired woman's cold smirk stopped him dead. Her eyes were flat, merciless, no emotion, not even pain. Kakashi sat back calmly, watching Sakura's movement's carefully, as well as Yaka's, trying to use anything to strategize.

Yaka gnashed his teeth together in silent rage. "Then let's see how much your team-mates enjoy you being fucked." He hissed, a lewd, disgusting smile creeping across his lips as he sauntered over to the broken woman, lying in crumpled pile against the wall. "Sound familiar? I'm sure our little visions provided you with one or two rape scenes..." Yaka growled, referring to the interrogation techniques used to torture the girl earlier.

Sakura glared at the man, appearing unafraid. She lifted her chin slightly in a challenge, even though she flinched at his words. The images she had seen were not very inviting, but very intimidating.

The enemy male grinned, crouching in front of her. "Look-y here, boys." Yaka lifted her chin, surveying her face, eyes skimming over the satiny skin stained with dirt, ignoring the large bruise on her right cheek.

Using his other hand, he beckoned his companions to look, motioning for them to add extra restraint in accordance to the chakra drainers that surrounded Naruto and Kakashi's ankles and wrists. One of the minions performed a quick interrogation jutsu which forced the two Konoha nin's eyes open so that they had to watch. He stood off to the side once he was finished, smirking cruelly as his eyes roamed over Sakura leeringly.

"Did any of you ever touch this pink vixen? Bit of a Spit Fire, ain't she?" he murmured through wide, grinning teeth. His cohorts chuckled and cat called in response. "Let's see how much fight you have left after I'm done having my fill of you..." Yaka grinned evilly.

His dirty fingers rubbed a lock of hair between the pads, feeling the silken texture. "Such pretty hair to match with a pretty face. Too bad you're just a filthy kunoichi of Konoha." And with this, he smacked her, his hand colliding with her bruised cheek; sending firing darts of pain streaking up her face. The skin broke across her cheek bone, and blood beaded up from the small cut.

Making sure not to make any noise, Sakura continued her strong glare at Yaka, even as his fingers began a path down her throat, leaving behind a trail that felt dirty to her. Her skin crawled at his touch, and her stomach heaved.

_I refuse to sit back and let this bastard take control of me. I've got only a small bit of chakra left in my system, only because I'm keeping it in my head so as to stay conscious. I've got no use of my arms, and my legs are as good as dead at this point. _She paused, assessing why her legs were not able to move.

Poison.

Beautiful.

_Thankfully, it's a paralysis poison, disabling my limbs, allowing me to feel everything, yet unable to move. Kakashi and Naruto must not have it, seeing that they have mobility__…__ It's a simple poison._

Something she could break down in seconds if it weren't for her lack of chakra. The poison was known to Sakura, but she was slightly worried at how her body lacked the immunity to the poison's effects. Specifically, it targeted her arms and legs, but she could still move her head and torso. They hadn't used this kind earlier, when she was separately interrogated. It made her feel even more defenseless.

_What other weapon have I left? No strength, and they have some sort of chakra bond traced on the skin of my arms. Neji-san taught me how to keep my chakra pathways blocked, so that not everything can be drained, and that small amount of chakra is in my head, but if I can move it up to my for head and tightly pack it__…_ she trailed off on the thought, concentrating on opening up the pathways across her face slowly, without activating the chakra bonds etched onto the skin of her arms.

Even if she didn't have the ability to use her insane strength, Sakura at least had her natural ability of chakra control.

The kunoichi forced herself to remain calm, refusing to let her heart-beat race uncontrollably. Just then, the enemy's fingers settled over her throat, measuring her fear and pulse. With a sneer, Yaka punched her in the stomach, and Sakura doubled over his fist, coughing up another mouthful of blood.

"The little bitch isn't afraid of us, boys. Guess I better fix that, eh?" Yaka chuckled, and his comrades called out their agreements.

_What else can I use?_

The pink haired Kunoichi forced herself to sit upright again, glaring at Yaka, cursing herself for forgetting about her pulse. She should have made more of an effort to appear afraid! But the adrenalin in her system seemed to stimulate her courage and block the pain from her injuries.

"Matte, matte! What are you going to do to Sakura-chan?" Naruto yelled out furiously, and a gag was placed in his mouth, muffling his loud voice. The captors would probably take it off if the boy was willing to give up whatever he knew.

_That's it. When all else fails, Kunoichi may resort to use their appearance and virtues as weapons. And what do I have that any male would want? _

She had no need to finish the thought. Sakura knew what had to be done, whether she liked it or not. She had no right to feel sorry for herself when her team-mate's lives were possibly on the line. The medical-ninja glanced at Naruto, sending him a short glare. "Udesai." she hissed, silencing him. Naruto's worried expression would only chip away at her hardened resolve. Sakura had to do something in order to save her friends, no matter what the cost was.

She had to let Yaka think he could take advantage over her, and at worse, actually let him. When he would be at his weakest, sated from his release, then she would attack if need be. She had learned this from the interrogation jutsus used to show her terrifying scenes of pain, embarrassment, betrayal, meant to break her from the inside out. Sakura prayed that it wouldn't come to that, that her chance for freedom would come before her defilement.

The Kunoichi's eyes moved to Kakashi. He was silent as ever, and his brooding stare sent shivers up and down her spine. Sakura licked her suddenly dry lips, and her pulse fluttered with true fear. Would he accept her decision? Would he think badly of her? Be disappointed in her judgment?

_Trust me__…__ You've got to trust me__…_ she mentally thought, willing him to understand when she herself was still unsure.

**_What needs to be done needs to be done, Sakura. So what? You lose your virginity? You were bound to lose it someday. There's no need to over think this. Many Kunoichi have done so before on missions, so what's the difference now? Just do it. Just let it happen. Time it, make it count. _**Sakura's inner voice piped in, her voice scolding almost.

Sakura's eyes focused on her first, original sensei, waiting for a response, a reaction. Anything. And without even the slightest movement of the head, Kakashi's lone eye said it all, or what Sakura hoped to have been said.

"Ahh, now we've got fear." Yaka suddenly said as he caught Sakura's increased heart-rate. "Boys, make sure the old one's watching, I'm sure he'll enjoy what he never could touch." Yaka said cheerfully, and his hand moved down, settling over Sakura's breast, squeezing roughly so that probably there would be a bruise later.

He leaned forward, his lips brushing Sakura's bruised cheek, opposite to what Kakashi and Naruto could see. "Have you ever lain with a man, pink vixen?" he murmured, and her eyes widened, genuine fear mixing with adrenaline this time. Her stiffened posture was his answer, and the swift intake of breath his assurance.

_ Maybe I'm not ready for this__…_

**_Of course you are, baka. Quit being a fucking pansy and get it over with._**

And with that inner pep-talk, Sakura's resolve hardened, and she made the first step to her decision.

"Do your worst." She said loudly and clearly, refusing to whisper, to show weakness.

Kakashi could feel a sinking weight in his stomach. He knew Sakura was an innocent or at least it still seemed so, since he didn't know what had gone on before. Did she know what she was getting herself into? What was to come? She would be scarred for life, no turning back. Would she, could she, ever trust men again? Him again? Could she ever look Naruto or him in the eye after this?

Her earlier look had told him to trust her, which meant she had a plan. He hoped she did, because his mind had drawn a blank. Even after assessing the situation, Kakashi could not conduct a plausible solution. They had no chakra, the chakra-draining cuffs made sure of that, and they had no weapons. And the most annoying of them all, he could not use his Sharingan, because it was covered by his hitai-ite.

Cold dread seeped through his veins. What was the man whispering to Sakura to make her look so frightened? He knew to the others, she looked confident and calm, unaffected, but Kakashi could see it in her eyes. It was in the way her body stiffened slightly, and the way her lips parted to gasp sharply. Why had Yaka brought Kakashi into the factor of watching? To scare Sakura more? To further humiliate her in front of an older man, her team-leader, her team-mate? Most likely.

And then she challenged him loudly, in front of everyone, appearing unafraid of the terrorizing man threatening to take her innocence. His heart swelled with pride, heat returning to his cold bloodstream, boosting his confidence as he strung together the facts.

Kakashi recognized the interrogating jutsu, performed by Yaka's minion, which kept his eye open, making him watch as Sakura was groped roughly. And he filed away the emotions he felt due to the scene before him. Kakashi would remember this when he used it on others in the future.

The sinking weight returned. This was not how a woman should be treated, not in this vial act of torture. It sickened him, infuriated him that his female comrade was to be soiled without love or thought, only the red haze of male lust.

But she had told him to trust her, and he would do so until the end. She had faked fear before. Had she planned this? Had Sakura deliberately evoked Yaka's anger so that it would come to this? What did she intend to do?

The questions were endless, and the Jounin was tired of not having any answers.

Kakashi's lone, dark eye observed the violating scene with disgust, watching as Yaka leaned forward to kiss Sakura wetly, his lips slanting against hers, leaving behind a slobbery sheen of saliva.

When Yaka tried forcing Sakura's lips open, she bit his lower lip, drawing blood. He yelped, pulling back slightly before straddling her hips with his knees. The adversary back-handed her so that Sakura's head was knocked to the side, a mixture of blood and spittle flying from her bruised, swollen lips. Her face was turned towards Kakashi and Naruto, and she forced a cocky, brittle smile, trying to convince them that she was alright.

Turning back to the man slowly, Sakura gathered more of the salty mixture in her mouth and spat it in Yaka's face, the wad dripping down his cheek. She smirked in triumph, victory evident in her expression. She looked more confident than he thought she felt.

Kakashi's mask hid his own smirk, and his heart swelled with pride again. He knew his pink haired team-mate wouldn't go down easily. He had learned this by watching other young boys try to date her. Each would pull the wrong move, and end up in the hospital. It was horridly ironic how everything was turned around on her.

His amusement ended, though, when Yaka sliced open her shirt with a kunai, leaving behind a long, red line from beneath her naval, to just below her sports bra. On opposite sides of the wound, her flat stomach was exposed, taut and dipping into the creases of her hips. Yaka drew out a kunai, cutting open the constricting fabric of her bra and bindings, her breasts spilling out for his view. His shoulder and side blocked the view of Kakashi and Naruto, thankfully sparing them of the exposure of their team-mate. His filthy hands molded themselves to her breasts, squeezing roughly. Yaka's harsh breathing mixed with joyous laughter echoed in the room at the thought of raping the information out of Sakura.

Kakashi refused to let out the soft sigh of his own guilty emotion that was pent up in his throat. He could have prevented this, somehow, some way. Looking through his peripherals, he could see Naruto's wide eyes, a blush staining his cheeks, a mixture of embarrassment and fury. The poor boy had never dreamed of seeing his childhood crush like this, under these conditions.

Yaka moved then, and Kakashi could see the slope of Sakura's right breast and firm stomach. He was spared seeing anything else, her torn clothing draped over her skin, hiding the rather revealing areas. Although he was grateful of such, Kakashi's worst fears had yet to come, and he still worried for Sakura. His panic increased just as Yaka's hand traveled down her thigh, and up her skirt, to where he touched her. The beautiful kunoichi stiffened in reaction, and he knew she ached to twist out of the way, trying to remove the enemy's hand from her most private area. Her movements were restricted, though, most likely by a paralysis poison, Kakashi deterred.

_More time__…__. I need more time__…__ I can't stand this! Make it stop!_ She screamed in her head, and even as she felt Yaka's probing, dirty fingers touch her woman-hood, brushing aside the fabric of her underwear with a harsh tear, leaving them in shreds. She held back her whimper of fear and sickening revulsion. Sakura's eyes refused to travel in Kakashi and Naruto's direction. She didn't want to see their expressions, didn't want to see the disgust in their familiar orbs. _Calm down. Calm down. Concentrate on the chakra. You can do this. I can do this. I will not lose! _She forced herself to think, to not roll over and accept defeat.

Kakashi's stomach rolled with nausea as he was forced to watch Sakura's violation. This was beginning to get out of hand. Was his pink haired team-mate going to allow it to go further? Where was this plan she had supposedly come up with?

His eye would have narrowed, but the jutsu prevented such. Kakashi could tell Sakura had a small amount of chakra, but she had it condensed, hidden. The chakra-draining cuffs had been removed from her right after the interrogation jutsus had stopped, and Yaka had walked into their holding chamber. It was cruel to give her such hope, when it was only taken away the second Yaka wrote chakra binding symbols on her arms.

Looking to his left again at Naruto, Kakashi noticed that the young man was close to chewing through his gag, using his sharp teeth. He didn't seem aware of this, the gnawing of the material more out of agitation than for true purpose.

_If only I could get my hitai-ite off, I could use my Sharingan. We may have a chance at getting out of here._ Kakashi thought, his attention returning to the pink haired female. He, just like Sakura, had kept the chakra all in his head, poised behind his Sharingan just in case he got the chance to use it. She had a satisfied, smug look on her face, which gave him a small amount of hope. At least the look of fear was gone.

_Finally! I've got my chakra condensed enough in my for head to knock him out for a good couple hours. _Sakura thought triumphantly, but she gasped at Yaka's fingers plunged deep, breaking through the thin layer of skin marking her as innocent. She sensed the familiar electric feeling of chakra and realized that Yaka was doing much more than just tearing her maiden-head.

Crying out softly as blood spurted over the enemy's fingers, and Sakura whimpered softly, her concentration breaking, a blackout spreading over her vision. The chakra nearly exploded outward by the lack of focus, but she gripped hold of the energy with her control, forcing it back to her for head. Images flashed through her head, memories that were not her own, depicting visions of pain and anger, betrayal and humiliation. Did those scenes belong to her memory? Had this particular violation happened before? She couldn't remember. Her mind was finally fragmenting.

The fiery pain that bloomed low in her gut provided her with a focus, bringing her demented mind back to reality. Yaka's profound digging reminded Sakura that she was losing what made her pure.

_No! Keep going, you can do this, Sakura. Just concentrate. _The kunoichi encouraged herself. _You're still pure, your hymen just broke. Think like a medic and a nin, not just a woman. This is simply another obstacle to overcome. You've not lost your innocence. The hymen is merely a cluster of tissue made up of cells. Simple anatomy, not a legal document stating that you're a virgin__…__ You can deal with the pain. You've gone through worse._

Allowing the pep talk to boost her strength, Sakura gather up the last of her chakra, what she had gained since the bonds had been taken off. Sucking in a deep breath, the female drew Yaka's attention up to her face, where she smirked at him, her lips quirked tightly in pain.

"Sleep tight, ass-hole." Sakura ground out between clenched teeth, before slamming her for head to his, adding the condensed chakra she had gathered to the blow.

Yaka's body flew backwards, hitting the wall a few yards away. His body slumped, unconscious to the floor, his head lolling onto his shoulder limply.

"Boss!" Yaka's comrades loosened their grip on Kakashi and Naruto slightly, worry for their leader etched on their faces, and disappointment that they had to stop watching Sakura's torture. The interrogation jutsu broke as the wielder lost his concentration.

"Now, Naruto! My headband!" Kakashi ordered quickly, and the blond, acting on impulse and years of taking orders from his sensei, leaned over and grasped the headband's fabric between his teeth, tugging until Kakashi's Sharingan was freed. With a hard head-but behind him, the Jounin slammed his head into his captor's stomach, Naruto mimicking the action. Both enemies fell to one knee, and the silver haired male caught them in his spinning gaze, releasing his pent up chakra from behind his eye. The Sharingan captivated the adversaries' attention before forcing them into unconsciousness.

Kakashi glanced at Sakura, who was softly panting against the wall. The Elder Jounin could not see her face, her head bowed strategically so that her comrades could not see her expression. Quickly, he fumbled for the keys that lay on the floor beside one of the unconscious guards. His fingers stretched to capture the pieces of metal, but his movements were still restrained by the chains. He gained possession of the keys soon enough and began unlocking his and Naruto's cuffs. Kakashi stood, rubbing his wrists slightly to get the circulation flowing again. Bits of chakra began to flow as he regained his strength back, and the man knew they'd need a bit of chakra to get out of here alive.

"Kakashi-sensei. They put an extra seal on me to keep the Kyuubi's chakra from spilling out…" Naruto ground out as he winced, the seal burning harshly now that the cuffs had been removed and red chakra began to course through his body, his fury adding to his strength.

The Ex-teacher glanced at Naruto and nodded, peering down at the seal. It was a simple binding seal, but complex in its own way because it was meant to bind those who had a larger amount of chakra, not too abnormal in these parts. So, it was safe to assume that their captors did not know Naruto was the Kyuubi container. Placing his hand over the seal, Kakashi quickly unraveled it with what little chakra he had gained.

At the nearby flare of a chakra source, the Sharingan wielder lifted his head, eyes alert. "Naruto, can you feel them?" he asked, his voice merely a deep rumble.

"Hai." Said the boy, nodding his head. "I know where they are. They're not bothering to hide their chakra, damn bastards…." He growled.

"Do you have the energy to fight them?" fury continued to be the backbone to his words.

Naruto smirked, cracking his knuckles slightly. "I've got enough to take 'em down, if that's what you're asking." He answered. In response to his confidence, red chakra swirled around him. Within a few seconds, it faded to blue as Naruto controlled his anger and directed his energy to taking down the bastards who captured them.

"Good. Meet you outside. Don't take long."

The Jinchuuriki nodded and with one last look at his childhood friend, he set off for their enemies, running quickly down the hall.

Turning back to his battered team-mate, Kakashi called out to her. "Sakura…." she flinched, turning her bent head farther away from him, ragged breaths escaping her bruised lips. Sakura's right cheek was swollen now, a bright red color marking the bruise like a target. The older male walked over to her slowly, slipping an arm around her shoulders, ignoring how she stiffened and tried to pull away from him, not making a sound. He was very careful, making sure he was gentle to her destroyed arms.

"Sakura." Kakashi repeated, his voice stern, "We need to go. I can only trace two others here in the building, and Naruto's gone off to fight them. We need to go now before he brings this compound down on top of us." He informed her, his heart clenching in his chest as he watched her. Sakura's body stiffened and locked into place as the adrenaline washed away from her bloodstream, replaced by the pain she had held at bay. She moaned softly once, a low guttural sound of pure agony.

The pink-haired Kunoichi shook her head slightly, refusing to speak, quivering in fear and shock. Her shoulders were swollen beyond relief, arm bent at an askew angle, the bone poking at her skin. Kakashi placed two bent fingers beneath her chin, lifting her face so that he could examine it. She moaned quietly in response, the slight movement of her head jarring her shoulders. Sakura couldn't take anymore of the pain, wanting to let go of it all, to sink into the arms of that dark pit that promised to take away the agony she felt.

Kakashi's expression tightened beneath his mask after finally seeing her face, taking in the pained expression and her closed eyes, shielding him from the worst of the pain he knew she felt.

"We're going to get you out of here, Sakura, and back to Konoha, where Tsunade-sama can heal you. Alright? So hold on till then, Sakura. I know you can hold on that long…." He murmured to her, slipping his other arm beneath her knees, lifting her up to his chest.

_She's gone into shock from what Yaka did to her. If I'm not careful, she could slide deeper, and slip into a coma._ He thought gravely, the hidden lash of fury aimed towards the unconscious man laying in a crumpled mass on the floor on the opposite side of the room. It took everything within him not to go over there and activate a horrible torture jutsu on the man and then slowly kill him with a kunai and his own bare hands.

The elder male lifted himself and Sakura from the ground, barely even stumbling as he adjusted to the added weight. His eye was focused on the woman cradled against his chest, an unknown emotion in the dark orb.

Sakura lay quietly in his arms, appearing to be asleep, but Kakashi knew that she was fully awake and aware of the situation going on around her, if a bit vaguely. Assuming that her senses were dulled by the heart-stopping pain, Kakashi wasn't sure what could set her off and force her into a coma.

Kakashi walked slowly down the same path, careful not to jar the woman in his arms. Just to be sure, he talked to her, helping her to focus on his voice instead of the pain.

"Sakura. Listen to me. I need you to stay awake, okay? Don't go to sleep. Stay awake for me, do you understand?" Kakashi ordered to her, making his voice firm.

The pink-haired kunoichi cracked open her eyes slightly and Kakashi stared into the turbulent, stormy jade eyes. He nearly looked away at the desperate, pained emotion swirling in the hazy depths of her orbs. She was in so much agony, that she followed his request by sheer will power.

Sakura didn't move or say anything, keeping her vigil, but Kakashi knew that she had heard him, and would obey.

"Good girl. Now hold on. Naruto's going to take care of the other two guards, and then we'll be out of here soon enough." The Jounin continued to talk to her, muttering anything from how Naruto was going to eat a ton of ramen when they got home, to how he was going to buy her a bouquet of flowers from Ino's shop when she was done being healed by Tsunade. Hell, he'd even take her out for dinner and pay for it all!

Even though they were out of the worst part of danger now, Kakashi could feel the cold dread seeping through his veins.

The shiny luster that was once in Sakura's eyes, the sparkling shimmer of jade whenever she laughed had dulled to a faded, worn green.

_Damnit. I'm going to kill that fucking, sick bastard if it's the last thing I do._

Because Kakashi knew that Yaka had won part of the battle. He had broken Sakura like nothing else could.

And the man would never know.

Outside the compound, Kakashi held Sakura closely to his chest, his lone eye searching for Naruto. Keeping his Sharingan closed so as not to waste any chakra, the Jounin surveyed the area, but quickly glanced down when he felt the ground shudder.

Suddenly, with a rocking explosion, the compound blew up with a cloud of dust and smoke. Shouts of terror and anger echoed throughout the air, and Kakashi could barely pinpoint each voice.

Sakura flinched in his arms, burying her face into his shoulder more so, the loud noises moving through her shattered bones in frequencies that she choked on a low moan. Kakashi looked down at her, his brow creasing with concern. Her body and mind seemed to struggle with the idea of letting a man hold her, as if asking if protection would come from the embrace, or pain?

"Kakashi-sensei! Kakashi-sensei!"

With a swivel of the head, the elder male turned towards the direction of the yell, recognizing the tone and naming pattern to be his ex-student. Carefully moving his arms slightly from beneath Sakura's back, he placed a hand over her ear, pressing her head into his chest to block the loud sounds. A dark form approached as he did this, and from the cloud of dust emerged a grinning Naruto, waving to him happily.

_Did he have to blow up the whole compound? They took all our weapons away, and he couldn't have had that much chakra to take it down himself__…_ Kakashi wondered, marveling in his former student's abilities and stamina.

"Ne, Kakashi-sensei. When I was going to take down those two guys we sensed, a whole bunch began to show up, but they all had some hid their chakra, because I couldn't sense them coming, I only heard them. So once I finished off the two, I took off, knowing I couldn't take them all." At this, he took a breath, finally catching up to the spot where Kakashi stood.

_He's really grown up and matured, hasn't he?_ The Jounin took a moment to allow that small portion of approval to course throughout him. Sakura stirred in his arms slightly, trying to move away from him again, rejecting his touch like she did in the compound. The brief minute of peace washed out of Kakashi's body like a tidal wave as his guilt replaced the warm feelings. With a sigh, he tightened his grip on her, determined not to let go or allow her to fall.

"What else?" he asked; knowing there had to be more to the explosion than just Naruto running away.

"I found boxes full of explosives; not just the tags either, but tons of dynamite," his cerulean eyes focused on Kakashi. "So instead of letting them keep it and detonating it later, I did them a favor by setting them off now." Naruto grinned, his boyish face taking on mature enjoyment of taking out their enemies.

The life of a Shinobi.

The thought came naturally to Kakashi, the long years of fighting for Konoha had drilled the rules of a Shinobi into his mind. The killing didn't bother him, nor did the never-ending loneliness.

He glanced down at the pink-haired kunoichi in his arms, and a smile briefly touched his lips.

She keeps the loneliness at bay.

Kakashi's mind reeled back instantly, remembering a memory from a mission they shared five years prior to this one.

_ "Kakashi-sensei?" the call was quiet as the kunoichi leaned against a tree, her face illuminated by the moon. The gentle silence had been broken, but he wasn't peeved._

_ "Yes, Sakura-chan?" Kakashi's response came easily, not even muffled by his masked lips._

_ "How can you stand killing so many people, and still manage to act normal right after you do?"_

_ The Jounin's eye focused on her for a moment, the dark orb questioning. "Why do you ask?"_

_ She snorted, glaring at him. "That's not an answer, Kakashi-sensei."_

Ah, so she's in one of those moods…_ Kakashi thought inwardly, making a mental note not to intentionally piss her off. "Well, I'd have to say that after the first few kills, it became easier and easier, as long as I stuck to the Shinobi code. Besides my Sensei, they were my guidelines, my rules. I lived by them, and they seemed to make Shinobi life simpler, not as complex as everyone seems to deem it."_

_ Sakura paused, a frown puckering her lips and creasing her for head. "I guess that makes sense__…__"_

_ "Do you think differently?"_

_ The pink-haired kunoichi glanced at him, giving him a small smile. "I memorized every single rule as a genin. I had no qualms with reciting them, but they did me no good when it came to fighting. Saying the rules were not going to save my team-mates. It was the meaning of them that did. Words are just words until you read the importance behind them."_

_ Kakashi stared at her for a moment, his own smile twitching at his lips behind the mask. She was right, and he was proud of her that she had come to realize this on her own._

_ "That's a very good answer, Sakura-chan." He murmured, supposedly returning his gaze to his book, but his attention remained on his former student who continued to smile softly. She leaned back against the tree and sighed contently. In response to the peaceful look on her face, and her perfect answer, Kakashi spoke up. "I'll take first watch. You go ahead and sleep."_

_ "Hai. Arigato, Kakashi-sensei." She murmured, and drifted off in a light slumber, using her pack as a pillow._

_He never woke her up that night for her turn to guard._

"Kakashi-sensei?"

The said Jounin glanced up at Naruto, who was staring at him with a frown on his face.

"Hai?" came the quick reply, trying to cover up the mistake of reminiscing on a mission.

"I said, I don't know how many made it out, but I know there was a ton of them coming out as back-up. I think we should get back to Konoha so that Tsunade-ba-chan can fix Sakura-chan." The Jinchuuriki said, taking a quick glance at his best friend. His frown only deepened, adding years to his young face.

Kakashi took note of the respect in Naruto's voice as he mentioned Lady Tsunade's name, despite the disrespectful way he announced her name. The young man must really hope the Hokage could save the woman in his arms. The Jounin noticed Sakura's body shivering against his. "Here, take off your jacket first, Naruto, she's cold, and my vest would be no help and too heavy for her fragile arms." he said, watching as the young man immediately yanked off the warm piece of clothing and draped it over Sakura's exposed chest, shielding her from the cold, and them from the embarrassing view.

Then Kakashi nodded, immediately turning towards the direction of Konoha, from what he could tell, and began taking off in a quick run. His movements were steady and fluid as usual, but he took more care in his actions so as not to jostle Sakura.

As soon as both he and Naruto settled into a comfortable, but fast pace, he glanced down at the woman in his arms. Her face was twisted in a pained grimace, and her lips parted on a silent moan. Shallow breaths escaped the cracked mouth as she tried to get enough air from her sore lungs and bruised ribs.

"Sakura, stay awake for me, okay? We should be back to Konoha in a few hours. I promise that we won't stop unless you want us to, okay?"

She didn't move. Didn't respond.

Kakashi frowned. "Sakura?" he received no response, nor any sign that she had heard him. "Damnit, she's slipped into a coma already," he deemed harshly, knowing that she would not have just fallen unconscious on her own accord. She had enough chakra to heal whatever damage was done to her head in order to force consciousness, but not enough to fight off a coma.

Naruto glanced over; his handsome face a mask of concern for their female team-mate. "What do we do, Kakashi-sensei? She's the medic nin, and neither of us know enough medical jutsu to heal her wounds."

The elder Jounin shook his head gravely. "Even if we did know enough med jutsu, we wouldn't be able to stop her from slipping into a come-like state. We could mend her bones, somewhat, not all the way with what little chakra we have, but not much more than that. We just have to hope that Tsunade-sama can help her." At Naruto's unconvinced frown, he added, "Or that she pulls through on her own."

He didn't mention the warm blood he felt soaking into the fabric of his arm, positioned beneath her legs, yet close enough to her sex to catch the flow of fluid. Whatever Yaka had done to her down there, he new it was more than ripping her hymen. Virgins didn't bleed that bad, unless more than the cluster of cells was torn. Kami knew what the bastard had done to her delicate flesh down there.

The Jinchuuriki nodded, picking up his speed a bit, impatient to get to Konoha before Sakura's state worsened. Kakashi matched the quicker pace easily, not so much as winded, even with the added weight, and lack of chakra.

At a minimum of two hours later, Naruto broke the silence of wind rushing through their ears.

"Kakashi-sensei, why did Sakura-chan let that bastard Yaka go through with what he did?"

The sound of his former student's troubled voice set Kakashi's nerves on end. The Jounin glanced at Naruto before looking at the woman in his arms, a frown etched upon his masked lips. "I don't truly know, Naruto." And he really didn't. The man had no idea what was going through Sakura's head when she taunted Yaka, and drove him to the point of nearly raping her.

She was a strong fighter; no one would ever doubt that. There were few Shinobi who could beat her in strength and skill, and fewer who could outwit her, besides Shikamaru.

But it was that damned air of innocence that surrounded her that gave her away. It was that small piece of herself that she had kept safe throughout all the killings and assassinations. The little portion of her soul that was shy when it came to boys and love and whatnot.

So if that small piece of herself was so important, why was she so willing to let it go? It was the remainder and reminder of her purity, that she was still innocent, even through all the killings. Sakura had decided to keep it, when many other kunoichi were eager to give it away, to cast aside their innocence like an old kunai. So why did she choose now to discard that innocence? It made no sense to Kakashi.

The thoughts nagged at him the entire way back to Konoha, and in the silence, there was nothing to distract him from thinking about it.

_ Dammnit, Sakura. How would you know what would happen if that bastard went through with it? You're an innocent, so how could you know? What were you thinking? Don't tell me you wanted to prove something to yourself, or even worse, us. You don't need our approval. You're strong enough and we respect you for it. So don't act like such an idiot._

But that nagging voice in the back of his mind spoke otherwise.

Was it because she was tired of waiting on the side-lines, being the helpless, innocent female who could do nothing but wait?

And then the effects of what Sakura had done hit him.

Sakura's innocence had been taken, even without the intercourse of a male body. So, if that small piece of her was taken, what was left? What would she become?

Because when you no longer had any innocence, you were corrupted, right?

No, it had to be incorrect. Kakashi himself had lost part of his innocence when his Father hung himself, when Obito died, and then another portion when Rin had gone MIA. Then, when Sasuke left, Naruto joined Jiraiya, and Sakura went to train with Tsunade, he thought he had lost that little bit, the very portion that allowed him to smile every day without breaking down.

So was he corrupted then? Would Sakura be as well?

Kakashi could only hope his contemplation of the situation was pessimistic and just over-worrying.

A bitter thought brought a grim smile to his lips, even though it appeared to be more a grimace than a grin.

_And so fate deemed me worthy to have a partner as lost as me._

_Damn__…_

**Alright. First chapter redone and completed. I will be posting the next two right after this, so be happy! Sadly, this one is double the next two chapters, seeing as chapter 1 is 8,000 words and 2/3 are 4,000 each. Sorry... I think 4,000 is my limit for each chapter... It just works that way.**

**Anyways. To review is to encourage faster updates!**

**Ren Mizuki**


	2. Isolophobia

**UPDATED! I AM ADDING NEW CHAPTERS, AND THIS IS KEY TO UNDERSTANDING THE REST! IT HAS BEEN COMPLETELY REDONE!**

**REMEMBER: reviews make me post more faster. Just saying.**

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own Naruto, sadly, or else Itachi would never die, Sasuke wouldn't be so much of a bastard, Naruto wouldn't be so blind to Hinata's love, and Kakashi wouldn't be so old...**

**Chapter 2:**

**Isolophobia; verb; the fear of being alone**

"KAKASHI-SENSEI!"

Naruto's voice broke through Kakashi's thoughts two hours later, and the Jounin looked up, inwardly cursing himself for being caught off guard.

"Hai, Naruto?" he replied steadily, glancing around him to check for any threat that could be around. "What is it?" Kakashi asked, pressing Sakura ever tighter to his chest, holding her close, but as gently as he could manage.

Without another word, the blonde pointed towards the large gates that seemed to grow with every step they took.

The gates to Konoha Gakure.

_Finally!_ Kakashi thought, exhausted. He couldn't feel his legs anymore, and his arms burned from carrying Sakura's weight too long. His Sharingan eye burned with over-use without a large amount of chakra. "Naruto!" he called out, and the boy nodded, jumping ahead quickly with the last of his chakra reserves in an effort to get help.

The man looked down at the pink haired kunoichi laying silent in his arms. The only time they had stopped was at the beginning of their journey, just for Naruto to take off his jacket and cover up Sakura's chest out of modesty. The rest of the time had been spent mainly in silence, and running. Her lips were cracked and parted, her face still twisted in unconscious pain. Kakashi's heart stuttered for a moment, guilt weighing down on him heavily. _Kami…. Sakura, forgive me….. I wasn't able to help you…_ he thought, willing her to hear, even though his thoughts would never reach her.

Glancing up, Kakashi saw two chuunin run up to him, helpless concern written all over their faces.

_I don't need weak Chuunin to help me, damnit. I need Tsunade._ The man hissed inwardly, his lone eye glaring at them.

"Hatake-san, we can take her for you. You've little chakra left, and you need to get to the hospital quickly." One of the chuunin said.

"Hai. You look like you're about to drop. We can take Haruno-san." The other, more crude one said, rude excitement lighting up his face.

"Iie."

They both looked up, startled by his harsh reply. "Nani?" the first chuunin questioned, confused.

"I will bring her to Tsunade myself." Kakashi supplied angrily, ignoring their sputtering excuses and jumping ahead past them. The man's brisk pace continued to increase as he grew impatient with his body's cumbersome movements. He was just so damned tired, it seemed impossible to continue running.

Yet he still did.

_Damnit, Sakura, it's the least I can do for you. Tsunade will heal you up just fine… It's alright. You'll be okay._ He thought feverishly, feeling a sort of duty to protect her, and ensure her well-being.

What he'd never been capable of for anyone else.

Kakashi's jaw clenched at the unbidden thought. He couldn't think of that now. What he needed to focus on was finding Tsunade.

Busting through the doors of the Hospital, the Jounin ignored the shrill yelps coming from the startled nurses, and the agitated voices from the chuunins that had presumably followed him. His eye roved over the area, searching for the female blonde, but to no avail. Moving over to the desk, he stared at an angered, yet weary nurse.

"Where is Tsunade?" Kakashi asked, his voice clipped.

"Hatake-san, please calm down. I've been notified that Tsunade-sama is on her way. Please be patient." She replied testily, glaring at him.

Even though the glare went unnoticed, Kakashi became more and more anxious as the seconds ticked by, his worry for Sakura getting the better of him.

"Kakashi!" came a booming voice from the end of the wing. "Are you scaring all my nurses, and disrupting my hospital again?" Tsunade asked, her tone not in the slightest scolding. The woman's attention was focused on the girl Kakashi held in his arms. "Sakura…" the Hokage breathed softly, sorrow etched onto her face.

"Did Naruto tell you everything?" Kakashi asked, presuming that the boy had gone to get her immediately upon entering the village.

"Hai. A brief over-view, but what I needed. We will have to wait until she awakens to find out what happened during her own personal interrogation time. I'll have one of the nurses assign you a room for an overnight stay." She said, holding her arms out to take Sakura into her own.

Kakashi winced slightly, almost holding Sakura away from the Hokage's touch, but he relinquished his grip on her, allowing the woman to lay her down gently on a stretcher. After a few moments, he spoke up. "Tsunade-sama. I want to be placed in the same recovery room as Sakura, if at all possible." He said, and the woman glanced up in shock.

Had Hatake Kakashi accepted to staying in a hospital without complaint?

Tsunade was tempted to ask what for, but by glancing at his expression, though hidden behind the mask, and his mournful gaze at Sakura, she shut her mouth, already guessing why. A quick glance at the drying blood on his arm and the Hokage nodded, her face schooled. "Alright. Once I am done operating on her, she will be in the same room as you. There, I can get the full report of the mission." A dry, humorless smirk tilted her lips. "Looks like you won't have to write this one, Hatake."

Kakashi's eye barely wrinkled with the returned gesture of a sad smile as he looked at the Hokage; but before long, his gaze returned to the pink haired Kunoichi laying on the stretcher. As he watched Tsunade roll her away quickly to the Emergency Surgical ward of the hospital, he surveyed the state of Sakura's body. Her cheek was still swollen, and the bruise had turned a nasty purplish, black color. He couldn't see the condition of her shoulders, because Naruto's orange jacket continued to cover her up. Vaguely, he wished that it was his own vest, but the weight would have caused too much pain on the broken bones and nerve damage. At the back of his mind, he wondered whether or not her arms would still be able to function correctly after Tsunade was done with the surgery, or if she would be eternally disabled and would have to quit being a nin.

Kakashi's heart froze in his chest, and he nearly coughed as the air in his lungs turned stale. Would she blame him for the damage done to her body? It was, after all, partially his fault that she was wounded in the first place.

At least, that's what he thought. It didn't occur to him that she would think differently.

Tsunade hissed with fatigue and frustration as her hands hovered over Sakura's still form. Green, healing chakra flowed from her hands and into the younger woman's body with hard earned control. She had tended to the broken bones and dislocated shoulders first. It had been a long and nasty job, seeing as all the bone fragments were splintered, and either sticking out of her arms slightly, or tearing up muscle with their sharp ends.

Even in Sakura's unconscious, coma state, and also the added pain medication, she had felt the pain of her bones resetting, only proving how agonizing the procedure was. As a result, small moans escaped her cracked lips and with each sound, Tsunade was pressed to go quicker, and finish the pain she was giving her student.

"Come on, Sakura. Pull through. You can do it…." She ushered the girl in hushed tones. Tsunade's hands moved to rest over Sakura's lower stomach, sending soothing waves of chakra to the torn flesh within her body. The Hokage's muscles tensed as she felt the damage with her chakra. "Fuck…" the curse sounded loudly across the silent room.

"What is it, Lady Tsunade?" Shizune asked softly, standing beside the woman, wiping the sweat from the blonde's brow.

"He tore her up. The fucking bastard scratched and tore her inner walls… It's possible and not uncommon in rape victims, but…." She trailed off, her eyes blazing with anger. "Damnit, he used chakra to make the damage worse, the process more painful. She could have bled out if not for the clotting factors and the pressure from Kakashi's arm as he carried her." Tsunade didn't want to admit that her fury was getting the better of her, but having to view the damage done to her student was painful. She didn't want to see Sakura this way, didn't want to remember that it was the girl she considered her daughter laying on the table beneath her hands.

Only when the Hokage was sure she had mended the ragged flesh, did she finally pull back with a sigh, shoving her bangs from out of her eyes.

Shizune checked over Sakura's vitals, and did a routine procedure to ensure that Tsunade didn't miss anything. "She's alright now, save the small cuts and bruises that can heal on their own. The only damage left will be psychological." She said softly to the blond.

Tsunade stared at Sakura's body for a long moment, her bronze eyes boring down on the girl. The pinkette's chest rose and fell gently with every breath, and the look of pain had disappeared from her soft features. Her mentor had done a very good job of helping ease all soreness as best she could.

With another sigh, the blonde looked up at Shizune. "Go ahead and move her to the room with Kakashi. It'll be their recovery room. I'm hesitant to place Sakura in the same environment as another male, but maybe it'll allow her to get used to the idea that not all men are as vile as that bastard." Tsunade had to pause as a growl welled up from the back of her throat. "That, as well as having someone she knows and trusts to be there with her. To help Sakura cope with things." She finished.

Shizune hugged the girl's chart to her chest tightly, a frown creasing her for head. "Why not send one of the other kunoichi in, like Ino or TenTen? Wouldn't it make more sense to keep her around someone who might have gone through the same thing?"

Tsunade crossed her arms beneath her large bosom, lifting one hand to chew on the manicured thumbnail. "I had thought of that, but Ino's off on a mission and TenTen hasn't had the same experience. I'd have Temari come see her, but I don't think it will help much, and the Sand are just here to visit for strategic meetings. Therefore, the main one to see the ambassadors is Shikamaru." Biting down hard, the blond looked at her student. "I think she'll be okay with just Kakashi in there. They've gotten closer over the years, and he won't let anything happen to her. I know that for sure."

The assistant female nodded, agreeing with the Hokage. "Hai. I've seen it too, but I can't help but wonder why. Before Uchiha Sasuke left, Kakashi never paid much attention to Sakura, ne?"

The blonde nodded.

"And after the Uchiha joined Orochimaru, Naruto left to go with Jiraiya, and Sakura came to train with you when you finally accepted the job as Hokage." Shizune continued.

"That is correct." Tsunade informed.

"So then why is he being so protective of her now?" the assistant asked, frowning again.

The Hokage sighed softly, taking a seat in a chair that had been deliberately placed there for her to rest if need be. Exhaustion beat at her like the sun's hot rays on a sunny day, and a headache pounded at her temples. "Because he's lost everyone else he cares about. Kakashi has had this horrible curse of losing everyone close to him, because he either couldn't protect them, or he was never there. I think…" she trailed off, chewing over her words carefully. "… I think he's choosing to protect Sakura now, to make amends for ignoring her in the past, and also to gain a small amount of peace, knowing that he could protect someone."

Shizune stared at Sakura for a moment before smiling slightly. "Do you think they could heal each other in the process of healing themselves?"

Tsunade closed her eyes and leaned back in the chair, relaxing somewhat. "Kami, I hope so."

Kakashi stopped pacing when Sakura was wheeled into the room they were sharing. His breath stilled in his lungs as he took in her warmer color, instead of the sickly pale from earlier. Only when the nurses moved her to the bed and left, did he actually move again, coming closer to her still form. A needle was hooked up to the back of her hand, attached to an IV drip. A small monitor was clamped on her thumb to measure her heartbeat.

"Sakura?" the silver-haired male said roughly, hesitant to touch the girl laying before him.

A small, tiny smile held her lips in place, as if she were having a pleasant dream. That little show of emotion stirred a long buried memory within him, from 3 years back.

_ "Kakashi-sensei?" Sakura asked softly, her voice hushed._

_ "Hai?" Kakashi replied with a nonchalant tone, not looking up from his book._

_ From the corner of his eye he watched a small smile quirk her lips and he vaguely wondered why it was there. To keep the smile on her face, he added a second part to his reply, "You know, I'm not your teacher anymore. There is no need to continue calling me '-sensei'."_

_ Her smile widened, and she turned her head to face him, tilting her head slightly. "Do you always have to remind me? Sounded to me like you just don't want to sound so old," she taunted jokingly, the grin remaining._

_ The male Jounin rolled his shoulder, sufficient for a shrug. "I'm not that old."_

_ Sakura raised a haughty brow, her lips forming a perfect 'o'. "Oh really?"_

_ Kakashi nodded, flipping a page in his bright orange book. "Yup."_

_ She pushed herself off the tree, crawling over to him without embarrassment. "So how old are you then?"_

_ He raised his lone eye up from the page to stare at her. "Isn't 'I'm not that old' enough for you?"_

_ Sakura beamed at him. "Nope! So you can either show me what your face looks like without the mask, or tell me how old you are!" she said slyly._

_ "Or else what?"_

_ At this, she leaned back, tapping her chin in thought. "Well," she began in a drawl, "I could give you one of my famous massages! Or, I can just beat you into a pulp right here and now. Your choice!" she said, laughing softly._

_ Kakashi stared at her for a moment before sighing softly. He put his book away, aware that he wasn't going to be able to read it the moment he angered her._

_ "Sakura-chan, I'm not-"_

_ "I'll take Icha-Icha Paradaisu away."_

_ "Sakura-chan, that would be awfully ru-"_

_ "I'll get Jiraiya to give you a signed copy of the newest book."_

_ "That would be quite nice, but-"_

_ "I'll tell Tsunade-shishou that I've been doing your mission reports for you."_

_ "Ah, but you offered to do them, Sakura-chan, and it was because I won a bet-"_

_ "And that you've been leaving the Hospital early and not coming to your check-ups."_

_ "You know I dislike hospitals, Sakura-chan-"_

_ "Or that I have to perform the check-ups on missions because you refuse to ever show up at the hospitals."_

_ "Like I just said, I have an immense disagreement with hospitals-"_

_ "Please, Kakashi-sensei?"_

_ He stopped before the next excuse could escape his lips as he stared into her shining jade eyes. It was an un-fair advantage, using those large, green eyes against him, but it worked all the same. Kakashi sighed once more, closing his eye._

_ He listened to the sound of her breathing, the sound of her heart-rate increasing as the excitement and suspense built._

_ "I'm older than you." He said simply, opening his eye lazily to stare at her, before narrowly dodging the fist that connected with the trunk of the tree beside his head. Only when the bark shattered did he rethink his answer._

_ "Kakashi-sensei…" Sakura growled impatiently, eradicating the distance between them as she leaned in closer, headless of Kakashi's discomfort at the close proximity._

_ "Hai, hai." He muttered, looking away from her intense gaze for a moment, gathering his wits. Raising his dark orb back to hers, he raised a brow. "Do I still get that massage?"_

_ The pink-haired kunoichi grinned at him. "Yup." But with a short nod, she frowned, the smile disappearing as weariness crept in. "As long as you tell the truth," She added, eyes narrowing again._

_ "I am 24."_

_ Sakura pulled back, surprised by the sudden exclamation. The frown replaced her shocked expression as she said, "Oh, come on. You can't be that young. You look too old for that."_

_ Kakashi chuckled softly. "Just what everyone wants to hear, Sakura-chan, that 'They look too old for that.'"_

_ Her cheeks flushed as she muttered a soft "Gomen nasai"._

_ The Jounin raised a brow, watching the rosy hue stain her pale cheeks slowly. "I am 24 years old, it's just the hair that makes me appear older than I truly am. Plus, you've yet to see my face, so it's not really a fair accusation." At her disbelieving glance, he raised a hand while the other was laid over his heart. "I swear it to be true."_

_ Sakura giggled softly, staring at him for a moment. "I always thought you were, like, 30-something back in our Genin days…" she trailed off, grinning slightly as a blush stained her cheeks._

_ Trying to ignore how the moonlight accented her face and the blush, Kakashi closed his eye, leaning back. "I was top notch when I was younger, and soon I was placed as a sensei of a team by the age of 21. Ah, my glorious, fruitful years had come to an end." He sighed dramatically._

_ The kunoichi laughed, punching him lightly in the arm, although unaware of the use of her insane strength, caused him to wince slightly. "Your 'fruitful years' had just begun when you got assigned to us!" she assured him, grinning widely._

_ As Kakashi rubbed his shoulder, he could only nod and smile at the young woman who's retort was the plain truth._

The male Jounin grinned slightly, but it didn't reach his eyes. "I can't believe you thought I was thirty in your Genin days. How sad, to have been judged by my own students to be older than I actually am…" he paused before continuing on with his useless rant. What was he doing? Was he seriously talking to his unconscious student as if she would never wake up?

_No, she'll wake up. It's how she'll wake up I'm worried about. What if she's not the same? What if she stops being a Kunoichi? What if she hates us?_ The "what ifs?" were endless, constantly a flowing stream in his mind.

"Damnit, Sakura. Why is it that all three of you seem to make me worry constantly? I worried about Sasuke and his goals, then Naruto and his abilities as well as achievements. And you? I worry about if you're going to wake up, good as new, and laugh it all off as if it were nothing. Say something like 'That damn bastard got me good, eh, Kakashi?' and then grin and drag Naruto off for some training before your shift at the hospital." Kakashi paused to breathe, his heart beating fast. The man calmed down a bit, careful to be easy on his body. The chakra that had been zapped from his system from the drainers was coming back more easily now, thanks to the medication Tsunade's nurses had given him.

The vital sensors that had been placed on him had long been discarded, even before the nurses had dropped off Sakura. What was the point? He knew he was fine. They knew he was fine. So there was no apparent need to hinder his movements with a useless piece of machinery.

Raking a hand through his silver mane, Kakashi looked away, a frown settling over his masked lips. He glanced up at the clock in the room, surprised to find that three hours had already past since Sakura had been wheeled in. Had that much time slipped his mind by only reminiscing and staring at his former student?

"Mhhhmmm…." Came a soft moan from the opposite bed.

The silver-haired jounin lifted his head in the direction of the sound, every emotion possible, visible for all to see in his lone eye. "Sakura?" his voice cracked slightly, and Kakashi hesitated a moment to real in his emotions and keep them under control. "Sakura-chan?" he tried again, his voice stronger, yet husky with hope.

"Mmmm... Ahhhh... N-no..." the pink haired kunoichi moaned as she rose to the surface from the depths of her conscious.

The male all but leapt forward, gently placing his hand on her shoulder, wondering if he should shake her or allow the woman to come to on her own. "Sakura, it's ok. I'm here, don't worry, I'm not going anywhere..." Kakashi said softly in assurance to the girl.

Sakura squirmed on the bed, face contorted in an expression of terror, hands clenching beside her sides.

"Sakura-" Kakashi began.

"NOOOOO!" the girl screamed, lurching forward, the machines and wires attached to her body jerking after her. Cloudy jade eyes snapped open, unseeing and full of fear. Sakura's hands grasped at the sheet as she struggled against her body's cumbersome movements. She attempted to get up, but was held back by the monitors which were now beeping loud and frantic, signaling for the need of a nurse.

"Sakura, calm down. You don't need to be moving this quickly. You're still in recovery." Kakashi tried to soothe her, reaching out to restrain her movements.

The pinkette turned on him, a hand swiping out to hit him, her nails catching on his cheek, tearing the fabric and skin there. Her other arm slashed at his chest, causing the same injury. Kakashi released her immediately, backing away with a his own hand on his face, ignoring his chest. "Don't touch me!" the girl hissed, advancing on him, only to be jerked back by the wires. Sakura reached to disconnect herself from the offensive restraints.

"Nurse!" Kakashi shouted hoarsely, blinding reaching for the red button located on the wall. He didn't get any closer to her, not wanting to initiate more attacks, but not wanting the girl to harm herself any further. He was still shocked at Sakura's outburst, his cheek stinging and his heart aching. The attendants rushed in, gathering around the young girl with surprising strength and courage.

"Let me go!" Sakura spat, landing a hard punch to one woman's gut, thankfully without chakra. Said woman flew backwards, hitting the wall before sliding down, unconscious. While the others struggled to calm her down, Kakashi stood out of the way and watched as one nurse pressed a button on the machine hooked up to a vein in Sakura's arm. The needle was precariously close to falling out of it's place, only held there by a small piece of tape. Immediately, within seconds after the button was pushed, Sakura's eyes drooped as she slumped forward slightly into the welcoming arms of the nurses. Her form relaxed visibly and Kakashi knew that they had given her a dose of tranquilizer, enough to knock her out for a while.

Soft sighs of relief echoed throughout the quiet of the room as the attendants carefully laid Sakura back down onto the bed. They re-taped the needles and fixed her bandages before leaving, carrying out the unconscious figure of their fellow nurse with them. One stayed behind, patting Kakashi's shoulder. "It's ok, Hatake-san. She probably had a nightmare and lashed out unconsciously. It happens sometimes in healing, psychological patients." she assured.

The male's dark stare cut into the woman, eye narrowed in anger. "She is not a psychological patient. She is healing from a recent mission of which she was tortured. It does not mean she is crazy." he said, his angry tone signaling that the discussion was over.

The nurse's eyes widened in shock as she stumbled away, hands held up in defense. "O-Of course, Hatake-san. Just c-call if you need anything else..." she said hurriedly, rushing out of the room.

Kakashi sank back down into the chair re-positioned once more to be by the girl's bed. "Sakura..." he breathed softly, sinking his face into his hands, ignoring the stinging in his cheek as his palm pressed against the ragged scratches. He shuddered at the memory of her attack, peeking through his fingers at her now relaxed form. Kakashi's gaze softened as he took in her soft, pouty lips slightly parted as she breathed deeply. How many times had he thought of those lips, stretching across a smile, opening to a laugh, pursing in anger? He took in her closed eyes, imagining the bright jade colored orbs beneath her lids. How many time had he thought of those eyes, bright with happiness, twinkling with mischief, warm with love...

That thought brought him up short. Love? Had he ever seen those eyes look upon him with love and affection, just as she looked at Naruto and Tsunade?

No. Not quite. With friendship and companionship, yes, but never truly love.

Is that what he wanted though? Was he himself in love with his student? Sakura made him happy, bringing light to his washed out world, introducing him to all the bright colors as if he had only seen in shades of grey before.

Cutting off his thoughts before they became too dangerous and dark, a road he did not want to travel down, Kakashi shook his head. He needed to focus. Brushing a lock of pink hair from Sakura's for head, the man marveled in how soft her skin was. A butterfly suture helped keep close the cut on her cheek, a stark contrast to her innocent look. How could this girl, a finely trained nin, be so strong yet soft at the same time?

Sighing, Kakashi leaned back in his chair, suddenly feeling the exhaustion from the past few days events. How much sleep had he gotten? It was about time for a nap. The stinging in his cheek could wait until he woke up, the bed was awfully inviting, but he did not want to leave the girl's side.

_Sacrifices... _Kakashi thought to himself as sleep and exhaustion pulled him down into blissful darkness.

**Good, yes? Or bad? Please, do tell. Critiques are welcome!**

**Anyways. To review is to encourage faster updates!**

**Ren Mizuki**


	3. Oneirophobia

**UPDATED! I AM ADDING NEW CHAPTERS, AND THIS IS KEY TO UNDERSTANDING THE REST! IT HAS BEEN COMPLETELY REDONE!**

**REMEMBER: reviews make me post more faster. Just saying. **

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own Naruto, sadly, or else Itachi would never die, Sasuke wouldn't be so much of a bastard, Naruto wouldn't be so blind to Hinata's love, and Kakashi wouldn't be so old...**

**Chapter 3: **

**oneirophobia; verb; fear of dreams**

_Ugggh... why am I so tired?_ Sakura's voice echoed in her head as she groggily began to push past the layers medicine induced sleep. _My body aches..._ her lids felt too heavy to even lift, but by some small feat, her lashes separated, allowing her a hazy view of the ceiling. The pristine white almost glared at her, and she instantly knew that she was located somewhere in the hospital.

A quick check proved that little chakra flowed through her body, making her certain that she must have just returned from a mission. _Was I injured? How bad?_ the comforting, steady beats of the machines were lulling her back into the healing sleep, but she refused to go, too curious about her physical state.

With an effort that surprisingly exhausted her, Sakura managed to tilt her head to the side, her gaze catching on Kakashi's sleeping form. Jade eyes followed the path of his rumpled hair to the creased furrows of his brow. Amusement bubbled up inside her, finding that Kakashi concentrated even in his sleep.

But an even more important question arose. Why was he here? Kakashi wouldn't normally stay beside her whenever she was injured, he'd only come in for random visits. Why the change?

_What happened on that mission?_ Sakura thought to herself, her mind struggling to recover the memories of the past events.

Information immediately flooded in, causing the girl to stiffen and moan softly. Forcing her body to move, she slowly moved her hand towards Kakashi's direction, needing a life-line to hold onto, someone to keep the memories at bay.

Sakura's lids suddenly felt too heavy to lift anymore, but she continued to stretch towards Kakashi, needing that physical touch to pull her back into the present.

_"Kakashi..."_ she moaned softly, before sliding back down into the nightmarish memories.

_"Kakashi..."_ a soft, pain filled voice echoed in his mind, pulling him out of his blissful sleep.

The man opened his eye, blinking quickly to adjust to the bright fluorescent lights in the room. Immediately, his dark gaze focused on Sakura, still laying in the same position, but with a few altercations.

For one, her face was turned towards him, gifting him with a full view of her lovely face. The only thing marring its perfection were the creases of her pain filled expression. Had she woken from another nightmare? Had she remembered anything? Kakashi could only wonder in silence, knowing he would not be able extract any information from her anyways. His gaze continued on, coming to a rest on her outstretched hand. Sakura's palm faced upwards, fingers slightly curled in relaxation. Was she reaching for something?

Experimentally, Kakashi slid his hand into hers, reveling in the smooth parts and the calloused areas. As he twined their fingers together, adding slight pressure, Sakura's face relaxed, and a soft sigh escaped her lips. Was this what she wanted? Physical contact?

Reluctantly, he released his grip on her hand, sliding his own away. Immediately, the effect took place. Trickles of fear began to show on Sakura's face as her body stiffened and desperately began to seek out someone's touch once more.

His touch.

His question answered, Kakashi gripped her hand again, watching as her features relaxed. This was what he wanted. He wanted her relaxed and happy, not in pain and not in fear. This is why he wanted to protect her. So that she would never be alone and in need of help, with no one to aid her.

Like before on the mission.

Shaking his head and figuratively, his heart, of the guilt, Kakashi leaned forward, using his other hand to cover the rest of Sakura's. She seemed to grow peaceful from the contact, suffering no more. "Sakura-chan..." he breathed, closing his eye and laying his for head beside their clasped hands.

The world around him slowly drifted away, the small stings coming from his chest and cheek a small reminder that life always involved pain.

A pressure in his chest drove Kakashi to consciousness. Blinking his bleary eye, the man found himself partly sprawled on Sakura's bed, his upper torso and arms propping himself up. His hands were still covering the girl's, he realized as he slowly released them, retracting his arms so that he could stretch out the kinks. Man, what he wouldn't do for one of Sakura's massages right now.

The thought brought him back to reality and he immediately sobered. _Oh, Sakura... Wake up please._ he begged her silently, rising from his sitting position in the chair. His joints and bones cracked as he stood, proof that he had been in that folded position for awhile.

Glancing up at the clock, Kakashi noticed that at least 2 hours had past. The time was passing by quickly, and he couldn't keep track of it. Where were the nurses? Hadn't anybody come by to see Sakura yet?

Looking back at his own bed, he saw a pair of neatly folded clothes, probably curtesy of Tsunade, sending some Chunnin to his house to collect some of his things. Beside his clothes were a tube of ointment and small bandages. So someone had been here, a nurse at least. Sakura's bandages had also been changed out. A quick peak at the flowers on the table in the room proved that some of her friends had dropped by.

_Well, at least they left me to sleep..._ Kakashi thought to himself, grateful for the extra hour or so of rest to help heal his aching body. Stretching once again, he felt the skin stretch on his chest, where Sakura had scratched him. They were minimal wounds, easily to be healed on their own, but since he had the time, he might as well put some ointment on and bandage them. The beatings he had taken were controlled, surprisingly. No broken bones. A bruised rib or too. Multiple scratches and bruises. Nothing he couldn't handle, or would let a nurse touch. He'd heal on his own, just by taking a break from the missions for a few days. Maybe read a few books, taking a nap in a tree somewhere. All that would not happen, though, until Sakura woke up and he had taken care of her.

It was the least he could do.

With a small glance at Sakura still sleeping peacefully on the bed, her chest rising slowly in deep breaths, he judged that she wouldn't wake anytime soon. Checking to make sure the door was locked, Kakashi trudged towards his bed, stripping off his vest as delicately as he could without having to twist his torso much. With another quick look back at the sleeping girl, he began to peel off his under armor, slowly inching it up his torso. Kakashi's back was to Sakura, as he stared out the window, the sunlight highlighting his form. His thoughts drifted from past memories to ideas of the future, unaware of the nightmare stirring in the depths of Sakura's unconscious mind.

_"What have you done?! You killed him! You killed my son! You monster, you foul beast!"_

_ "They're dead. Every one of them. I... I couldn't save the children, there were far too many. The fire...consumed them, us. The enemy closed in on the remaining live ones and...oh kami...their bodies were so mangled...I couldn't find her, couldn't recognize her body...they're all lost..."_

_ "I don't love you anymore, aren't you listening? Get away from me! You betrayed me, left me to die alone. How could you?!"_

_ "Fuck you, and your whore of a team mate. She begged to be fucked, while I took her over and over. She screamed for you, you know. Begged to be saved while begging to be fucked. When I finally killed her, it was a shame that you couldn't see the look of utter defeat on her face..."_

_ "No, please stop. Please. Don't do this. STOP! PLEASE, DON'T-AHHHHH!"_

Sakura jerked awake, floating on the edge of consciousness. Who were those voices? Why didn't she remember them? Images flooded her brain, a massive wave that brought pain and horror to the foremost part of her brain. A scream caught in her throat, body stiffening. She couldn't remember. Didn't want to remember. Had to forget. Needed to forget.

Slowly, unfocused eyes opened to peer at the world around her. The voices continued to echo in her head, and her memories collided with ones that were not her own. Or were they?

The body of a man appeared before her, his broad back almost taunting her with its masculinity. Who was this man? Why was he in her room?

Before she could think otherwise, she asked, "Who are you?"

The man stiffened and turned, surprise on his face as he looked at her, his hand covering his lower face. "Sakura?"

_"That man... he killed my son... You murdered my son! I'll kill you. I'll destroy you!"_

Sakura's face pinched as the new voice rose above the others, warping and growing in volume that it was all she could hear.

It must have been her own thought.

The kunoichi pushed off from the bed, her weak limbs trembling, but she gained strength the more she moved. Hazy eyes tried to focus on the white haired man before her, focusing on the hand covering his face.

_Why is this familiar? Do I know him? Did he murder my son...?_ she questioned, but something wasn't right. She wasn't old enough to have a child, was she? Sakura certainly felt like she was, her body aching and sore. The memories in her head were too many for a simple child. _He killed my son..._ the thought echoed in her head as she slowly began advancing on him.

The man stepped back, his one lone eye darting between the door and her. Was he thinking of escaping?

"Sakura, get back into the bed. You're going to hurt yourself. Stop moving before you rip the needles out." he ordered, a frown creasing his brow.

_"Oh Kami...no...My son... My boy... You murdered my little boy...He was so young, so full of life, and you took it away from him! MURDERER! BEAST! DEMON! I'll kill you! I'll kill you if it's the last thing I do!"_

A sharp pain in her hand and elbow brought to her attention the needles stuck in her arm. She ripped them out, uncaring of the blood that arced in a slight spray before the wounds clotted. Sakura moved her gaze back to the man, a grimace settling on her features, pain in her heart for the lost little boy.

"You killed my son, you bastard." she murmured, confusion warring with the sharp pain that also occurred in her head, as if something wasn't right.

The man frowned even more, confusion evident on his visible features. "What?" he asked, surprised.

"I'll kill you!" Sakura growled, lunging for him, her arm pulled back in a punch, other hand ready to strike at his face.

Instead of defending himself, the man took her blow to the jaw before feeling her nails score across his throat. Blood smeared across his face and upper torso, her small wounds still leaking the red liquid. She then noticed the similar scratch wounds on his cheek and chest.

Had this happened before? Something was not right.

Shaking her head, Sakura frowned, tears pooling in her eyes as anguish stabbed at her heart with a serrated knife. "My son... my poor boy..." she murmured, her voice no more than a whisper.

"Sakura, calm down." the man murmured, lowering the one hand from his face to grasp her upper arm, the other hand doing the same. He held her still, peering into hazy jade eyes that were unfocused and confused. "I did not kill your son. You don't have a child, Sakura. You're only 21, and a kunoichi. A damn good one at that. So calm down. You're not in danger..." his voice soothed her frayed nerves and chaotic mind.

Sakura stared up at the most beautiful face she had ever seen. No one in her memories matched the beauty of this face. The sheer masculinity of his aristocratic nose and the sharp decline of his jaw made her stomach flutter. A jagged scar ran down the left side of his face, but it did nothing to deter from his beauty, if not but add to it.

She licked her cracked lips slowly, eyes never straying from his. "I...I'm a kunoichi?" she asked softly, the voices in her head quieting at the near proximity of his body, and the contact of his hands on her arms.

A pained expression shimmered on the man's face. "You don't remember?" he asked, his voice choked on some kind of emotion.

Tearing her gaze from his, Sakura glanced around the unfamiliar room, the white walls so bright they hurt her eyes. Instead of staring at the blazing color, she looked back at the beautiful man, feeling comforted for the first time in ages.

_"Ha. Beauty. They all fall for it. Every last one of them. Filthy whores, scavenging after a pretty face, uncaring of what lies behind it. A face is a lie, a cover for the evil that lies behind it. I'll show them the truth. I'll show them what a pretty face can do..."_

The harsh voice drifted away as an image erupted in her head, unbidden. "Nooo..." she let out a strangled moan, her body stiffening in his arms. Visions of rape and torture flitted through her mind, showing the cruelties of love and evil, how a man and a woman can come together in the most painful of ways.

Sakura panicked. Suddenly, they were too close. The air too thin, yet so oppressing. She couldn't breathe. Couldn't move.

"Let me go..." she moaned, phantom pain blooming in her womb, on her arms and face. The blows sustained by the women in the vision crawled across her skin. Or did the memory of the abuse originate from her own mind, her own memories? "Please...Stop... Don't touch me..." she begged, choking on a sob as she felt the darkness closing in on her, dragging her into a world more torturous than being awake. "Leave me alone!" she screamed, eyes closing as she wretched her body free of his grasp, flying back to the door, her only escape. Tears streamed down her face. She couldn't see, couldn't hear anything but the screams and cries of the tortured women, the cruel laughs of the evil men.

_Must escape...must get free... don't want to go through that again... I can't... won't make it... I must..._

Darkness surrounded her and pulled her under.

Kakashi lunged forward to catch Sakura before she hit the ground, her body collapsing right before the door. She shivered and jerked in his arms, soft moans of pain escaping her slightly cracked lips. What was she thinking about? What had just happened?

Lifting the girl in his arms, he settled her back onto the bed, wrapping the sheets around her slight frame. He did so tightly, as if to prevent her from having any room to twist and jerk in her painful sleep.

A frown creased Kakashi's brow, his concern and worry for Sakura growing steadily by the minute. _Why did she think she had a son? _he questioned, confusion warring with trying to make sense of the situation. He needed to enlighten Tsunade about this. Maybe she could figure out what the hell was going on.

Turning back to his new set of clothes, he set about finishing the task he had originally started before having been interrupted by Sakura's rant.

Once finished, Kakashi pressed the red button on the wall, before sliding back into the chair he had previously occupied. Moments later, a nurse scurried in, a clipboard clutched to her chest.

"Hatake-san, can I help you with anything?" she asked, the tips of her shortly cropped brown hair brushing her chin as she came to a stop. Her bright green eyes appeared eager to please, her abundant chest heaving as if she had run a marathon to arrive here on time. Flushed cheeks only proved this theory to be true.

Kakashi barely took notice. Her eyes weren't as green or bright as those of the girl lying beside him on the bed. Not nearly as intelligent. The nurse's chest too large for his liking, unlike the perky orbs of his female teammate. Her hair was too bland and dark, not bright and attractive, standing out above all the rest. The nurse just wasn't Sakura, and therefore, not above his notice.

_Ah, kami..._ He was going to hell.

The male shook his head vigorously, trying to rid himself of the thoughts that polluted his mind. Kakashi knew he shouldn't be thinking of those things, especially on the firm globes that slowly rose and fell beneath the hospital gown with every breath Sakura took. _Especially_ not those.

Finally seeming to find his voice, Kakashi glanced up, his eye narrowed in a serious glare, directing the anger he felt for himself to the vulnerable target standing in the doorway. "I need the Hokage." he barked, his arms crossing over his chest in frustration. When the nurse hesitated for a moment, he added a slow "_Now." _when she was too slow to react.

Her smile faltering, the brunette uttered a quick "Yessir." before scurrying away, eyes wide with something akin to fear.

Kakashi sighed, his hand rising to clutch at his for head, rubbing at the temples on either side. What was going on? What did they not know about Sakura's torture? What could possibly help her recover faster, stronger? Kami only knew.

A brisk pace roused him from his silent questionnaire, he looked up to see a not so happy Tsunade glaring at him.

"Kakashi, if you keep scaring my nurses, I'm going to send you home. Whatever happened to your nurse flirty self? Those poor girls are in tears wondering what they did wrong." she muttered, her manicured red nails tapping against one of her crossed arms. She quickly glanced at Sakura, dismayed to find her student's face twisted in pain. "What happened?" she asked, moving past Kakashi to check on Sakura's vitals out of habit.

"She woke up and attacked again. But this time, she started saying things that didn't make any sense." Kakashi informed her, rising from his chair to move closer to the bed as well.

Tsunade's eyes cut towards him. "What do you mean saying things that didn't make any sense?" she asked, before bending down and untying the restraints that were attached to the underside of the bed.

"Sakura said I had killed her son, and so in return, she would kill me. When I told her she didn't have a son, that she was only 21 and a kunoichi, she blanched. Sakura had no idea that she was a ninja. Or that she had no son." Kakashi murmured, his own eyes never leaving the restraints as Tsunade slowly wrapped them around each one of Sakura's wrists, a single long strip around her hips, before buckling the ones around each of her legs.

When the Hokage rose, her blonde hair slipped over her shoulder, her lips pinched in distaste. "I don't want to do this, you know." At Kakashi's blank look, she amended her statement. "To tie her up. Kami knows what memories it will bring up from her torture, but it's the only way to keep her from causing damage to herself and others. I love her to death, but she may have to remain bound until her mind and body is healed.

Kakashi sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. He didn't like the thought of tying her down either, but what other choice did they have?

Biting on a thumb nail, Tsunade glared down at Sakura before glancing over at the silent man beside her. "Where are you injured?"

"Hmm?" Kakashi hummed, not answering or giving a clue to if he was injured or not.

"Don't even try it, Hatake. I can smell the blood on you, and it's seeping through your mask. You mentioned that she attacked again, therefore leading me to believe that you were the subject, especially because she believes that you killed this son of hers. Now let me see." Tsunade ordered in her Hokage voice, her frustration over the situation was clearly going to be taken out on the Kakashi's wounds.

Just as he had taken out his own anger on the nurse.

Pulling down the mask, he bared his neck and the side of his face to her, uncaring about the sting that occurred around the scratches when he bent his head. Tsunade quickly hovered her hand over the area, healing the minor scratches that he would have let heal over time, but he let her vent through healing.

Once done, the blonde pulled back, her manicured nails biting into her palms with frustration as she crossed them over her chest. "I need to know what happened to her during her interrogation. From there, I can devise a treatment that will best lead her to the road to recovery. But it is imperative to know what she underwent through at that compound. If shes ranting about a different life-style, or about memories that aren't her own, she may have been brainwashed." Tsunade clenched her hands so tightly that her knuckles were a startling white. "If that's so, this is going to be one hell of a healing process."

Kakashi nodded vaguely, his own desire to find out what happened to Sakura was eating at him. He pulled his mask back up to cover his face, and therefore his emotions. Remembering her reaction to his contact, he frowned.

"What about physical contact with the patient?"

Confusion warred on Tsunade's face. "What do you mean?"

"I mean, when I touched her earlier, she seemed to relax and be at ease." the man replied.

"But earlier, you said she attacked whenever you got near her."

"Yes, but that was when she was awake. When Sakura's asleep, she reaches out as if _needing_ the contact."

Tsunade's brown eyes narrowed, stepping back to observe. Sakura's face was pinched with bad dreams and horrors. She knew this face with familiarity, had seen it on countless victims. "Let me see this for myself. Hold her hand for me." she ordered, hope blooming in her chest, if not a small amount.

Kakashi sighed, part of him craving the contact and the comfort of holding Sakura's hand, but also regretting and worrying about what it could turn into.

_Because you're attracted to her._ his inner thoughts echoed in his mind, and Kakashi shook his head in denial, unable to bring himself to dwell on that thought.

Reaching for her hand, he slid his own against hers, fingers tightening around the back of her hand to keep a good grip.

Almost immediately, Sakura's face gradually relaxed, and her pinched features smoothed out. She no longer looked like she was in pain, but almost as if she was serene and in peace.

Tsunade's eyes widened in shock, her gaze darting back between Sakura's relaxed form and Kakashi's stiff posture. "This is what happened before?"

At his quick nod, she smirked. "Well, Hatake. I think we've found Sakura an outlet. If she is not tormented by nightmares constantly, she might become more lucid. If she's lucid, then we can find out what happened during that mission. Understand?"

At Kakashi's blank look, she sighed and rolled her eyes. "What I mean, Kakashi, is that you are to make sure she doesn't have any nightmares. Hold her hand throughout the night, minimally. If you stay in contact with her, Sakura will remain peaceful. If she calms this much at this amount of contact, then who knows what more contact would do to her. It will remain this way until I can find someone or something else for her to find her attachment to." Tsunade explained.

Kakashi immediately withdrew his hand as if burned. A small mewl of pain followed the movement, but he ignored it. "What do you mean attachment?" he asked the Hokage, frowning deeply behind his mask.

Tsunade's own frown of disapproval rebuked him, but he did not want to touch Sakura again before he understood the situation fully.

"Sakura has unconsciously established a bond with you. Its purpose may only be for you to scare away the nightmares and terrors she experiences. But still, it's a bond, and right now, you're the only one shes established it with. We'll bring in Naruto tomorrow to test it out again."

"Tomorrow? Why not now? It's still early enough."

A sorrowful understanding shown in the powerful woman's brown orbs. "Kakashi, it's nearly 2 am."

The male nin glanced back towards the clock on the wall, his body sagging as he realized she was right. "Oh." was all he could say.

Tsunade gave him a sad smile, patting him on the shoulder. "Get some sleep, Hatake. And make sure Sakura does as well. I want to see if she's lucid by tomorrow. It may be for a brief time, but it's worth a try." she murmured before turning to leave.

Kakashi caught her arm on the way out, feeling awkward while at the same time determined. "Will this...bond... have any long lasting effects?" he questioned slowly.

An eyebrow raised at the emotion laden question. "It depends. Some bonds are made to last for however long they are needed. Some last forever. That's up to Sakura. Or at least, Sakura's subconscious. If mentally she needs someone to watch over her forever, then the bond may stay intact once she's awake. If she no longer needs to draw on someone else's strength, which I highly count on, then the bond will be devolved and eventually will be forgotten. You'll remember, but she won't, because it wasn't a conscious decision. The details will be hazy for her, but Sakura's mind will eventually let it go as nothing more than a dream." a short pause and Tsunade gently tugged her arm free of Kakashi's grip. "Sakura's a strong girl. She can and will make it through this, Kakashi. Count on it. I do. So should you. Now goodnight."

With that last statement, the blond woman removed herself from the room quietly, leaving Kakashi alone with the girl he apparently now had a bond with that she wasn't even aware of.

Sighing, he pulled the chair close to Sakura's bed once again. He would have preferred to sleep on the bed they gave him, but he didn't want the intimacy involved with lying beside the young girl.

_7 years is hardly an age difference._

Yeah, but an awkward one. Especially if the younger age had previously been your student.

Kakashi closed his eye, his hand moving to grip Sakura's once more, his heart stuttering when he heard her content sigh at the contact. This pink haired kunoichi was going to be the death of him. He just knew it.

With his free hand, he smoothed a pink lock away from her for head, amazed by the silkiness of her hair. Inhaling deeply, he caught a faint whiff of her sweet scent. Even after the long hard mission, she still smelled like strawberries, which he knew was her favorite bath soap. Her hair smelled something akin to lavender. Or maybe it was cherry blossoms?

On another sigh, Kakashi withdrew his hand from her face, only to accompany where his other lay. Cupping her smooth pale hand with his more tan and scarred ones was a fascinating sight. Her fingers were slim, nails neatly cut and clean. Calluses marred the smooth expanse of her skin, but he liked that about her. Danger behind an innocent facade. It was just like Sakura to hide her strength until it was needed.

Her lithe body was a beautiful mask to cover up her power, making her a true kunoichi.

Resisting the urge to bang his head against a wall, Kakashi groaned softly, eyes closed. _I'm going to hell..._

The man rested his for head beside their clasped hands on the bed, begging for sleep to come and steal him away from his dirty thoughts.

**Good, yes? Or bad? Please, do tell. Critiques are welcome!**

**Anyways. To review is to encourage faster updates!**

**Ren Mizuki**


End file.
